Lawnmowers can be configured as garden tractors, riding mowers commercial walk-behind mowers and smaller walk-behind mowers. Smaller walk-behind mowers include a prime mover mounted to the deck. Mower decks associated with garden tractors, riding mowers and commercial walk-behind mowers are removably attached to the frame of these self-propelled machines in manner that allows the deck to float along the contour of the terrain above an adjustable minimum height. These floating decks rely on a power take-off connected to the prime mover used to propel these self-propelled machines and, therefore, do not include a prime mover. More than one blade can be mounted in the cutting chamber of the deck for any of these embodiments of a lawnmower.
The present invention provides a lawnmower deck includes a deck sub-assembly and a stiffener. The deck sub-assembly has a top surface, a skirt extending outwardly and downwardly from the top surface and encircling the top surface, and a first stiffness. The skirt defines a cutting chamber underneath the top surface and a plurality of wheel mounts. The stiffener is connected to at least one of the top surface and the skirt. The stiffener and the deck sub-assembly together have a combined stiffness that is at least approximately 20% greater than the first stiffness.
The present invention also provides a lawnmower deck including a plastic deck component and a means for resisting flexion of the plastic deck component. The plastic deck has an engine bed and a skirt centered on the engine bed and extending outwardly and downwardly to encircle the engine bed. The skirt defines a cutting chamber below the engine bed and a plurality of wheel mounts.
The present invention yet also provides a walk-behind lawnmower including a deck, a stiffener, a cover, a prime mover and a handle. The deck has an engine bed and a skirt centered on the engine bed and extending outwardly and downwardly and encircling the engine bed. The skirt defines a cutting chamber below the engine bed, a discharge chute in communication with the cutting chamber, two laterally spaced front wheel mounts at the front of the deck, two laterally spaced rear wheel mounts at the rear of the deck and a channel extending between each of the wheel mounts and along the discharge chute. The stiffener is received in the channel.